Natural law

The development of natural law is attributed to the Stoics. This is a bust of Zeno of Citium, a stoic

Natural law is the idea that there are forms of law that exist by themselves. Unlike other forms of law (called positive laws) that have been agreed on by society, such laws would be given to all, and would not be possible to do without. Such rights are called natural. In modern times, human rights are often seen as coming from natural law, but the idea goes back to Ancient Greece.